P20 million earmarked to energize 47 Benguet sitios

By Dexter A. See

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The energization of non-viable villages will help attract the influx of investors and help improve the living condition of people in far flung communities in the different parts of the province, Gerardo P. Verzosa, general manager of the Benguet Electric Cooperative, said, following reports that the energization of 47 sitios in the province funded by the Office of the President to the tune of at least P20 million is about to be completed.

“We have a unique situation in Benguet because our sitios are located far apart from each other which results to the increase in our expenses just to complete the energization of our non-viable areas,” Verzosa stressed, adding that by 2016 all unenergized sitios in Benguet shall have been energized pursuant to the desire of President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino to fully implement the rural electrification program of the government.

In his report, Engr. Melchor Licoben, manager of Beneco’s engineering department, said all their rural electrification projects are about to be completed before the end of the year so that they could avail of more funds to continue the energization of still unenergized sitios in 11 out of the 13 towns of the province in the coming years.

“We have approximately 250 sitios distributed in the 11 municipalities which need to undergo energization,” Licoben added, citing that they will continue to conduct the necessary detailed engineering of the unenergized sitios for prioritization.

He disclosed the newly energized sitios are located in Bokod and Kabayan with 8 sitios each; Atok and Tublay with five sitios each, three sitios each in the municipalities of Kibungan, Mankayan, Tuba, Buguias and Itogon; four sitios in Sablan and two sitios in Kapangan.

According to Licoben, the fund was used by Beneco to purchase the necessary poles, wires and other units of equipment that will facilitate the energization of the unenergized areas.

With the power already available in far flung communities, Verzosa explained local residents will be convinced to be engaged in economic activities that will uplift their living condition and create an impact in the economic status of their respective places.

“More importantly, investors, particularly those engaged in resource development, will be enticed to do business in areas identified to be minerally rich and eventually contribute to the development of the remote communities,” he added.

The Beneco official pointed out electricity is an integral part of development, thus, the rural electric cooperative is doing its best to bring power even to the non-viable areas with the hope that local residents will be able to utilize it for progress not only in their living condition but also in the state of their respective communities.

Unlike other lowland areas, Verzosa claimed the peculiar terrain of the province is causing the increase in the expenses required to bring power even to the remotest area of Benguet but they are obliged to do so pursuant to the rural electrification program of the national government.

At present, Beneco has a total of 130,000 residential and commercial consumers with 80 percent based in Baguio City while the rest are distributed in the 13 towns of Benguet.